Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

NGD (Not a Gibson Though)


zombywoof

Recommended Posts

Posted

I saw this one and it was one of those "Oh yes, you will be mine" things. It be another Harmony Sovereign 1260 to go with my ca. 1960 block letter logo Sovereign. This one was born in 1969 making it the youngest guitar I own. It was a one owner guitar and seems to have been well cared for as it is in really nice shape. And miracle of miracles, it is 100% playable. The pinless bridge has been replaced but eh, who gives a flip. The neck has a bit thinner profile than that on my older Sovereign but not annoyingly so. And while I cannot say it has anything to do with the bridge, I swear this is the best sounding Sovereign I have yet to get in my sweaty little hands.

 

Xmas%202015%20018_zpssvgaeod5.jpg

Posted

Did this company make guitars for big retailers like Montgomery Ward ? It sure looks familiar.

 

 

They made guitars for Wards and Sears so you will find Airlines made for Wards and Silvertones and Supertones (if made before the 1940s) for Sears which differ only in the logo.

Posted

Pretty catch. [love] Congrats on her, Zombywoof! [thumbup]

 

I bet this beautiful thing will make your hands sweat more intense and more often. :)

Posted

Sweet condition-

 

'Bet this wasn't one of your dumpster finds. Glad you finally shook the piggy bank and got something "modern".

 

The Sovereign had been well cared for. But in the end the dumpster find Regal 12 ended up costing me more loot.

Posted

Very cool, ZW!

 

Do we get a rendition of Stairway To You Know?

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Stairway to the basement?

 

Stairway to the attic?

 

Stairway to Hell?

 

Stairway to nowhere?

 

There's got to be song in there somewhere.....

Posted

The poor Sovereign is never going to live that one down is it.

 

Until recently, I always thought Stairway To The (Fairway?) was classic Martin D28 Standard tone ala Mr Jimmy's tour of here in I am not sure? 72?

 

 

But I do have a Mance Lipscomb album with him holding one on the cover and assumed that he played it on the contents of the album? Cherry Ball!

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

Posted

The poor Sovereign is never going to live that one down is it.

 

Don't complain. It was a moment (rather more than a moment) in the spotlight for an underappreciated guitar.

Posted

Until recently, I always thought Stairway To The (Fairway?) was classic Martin D28 Standard tone ala Mr Jimmy's tour of here in I am not sure? 72?

 

 

But I do have a Mance Lipscomb album with him holding one on the cover and assumed that he played it on the contents of the album? Cherry Ball!

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

I ran across an interview somewhere when Page admitted he was a bit "hazy" about what guitar he used to record Stairway. He did state though that he worked all of the acoustic songs and a bunch of the electric ones for the first three Zep albums on a Sovereign.

 

Mance Lipscomb, Howlin' Wolf, Sleepy John Estes, Mississippi John Hurt and others were all known to play Sovereigns. Big Joe Williams played one converted to a 9 string.

 

Big%20Joe%20Williams_zpsbnbfiom8.jpg

Posted

 

 

Notice one has pins like Zomb's -

 

 

Rolling the bridge is not an uncommon thing to do with these guitars. In theory the pin bridge, due to the increased break angle and ball ends of the string coming in contact with the bridge plate, will give you more low end and midrange.

Posted

Is this it? Looks skinnier than yours in the photo, like a 000 size. Mance:

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Harmony also made a model 1203 Sovereign. They were smaller with a 15 1/4" lower bout.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...